Display-cabinet.



No. 887,882. PATBNTED MAY 19, 19808.

- J. WAUGH.

DISPLAY CABINET.

APPLICATION FILED 8118,14, 1907.

1HE NnRRIs PETERS to.. wAsHlNaToN. n. cA

JOHN WAUGH, OF CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS.

DISPLAY-CABINET.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 19, 1908.

Application led August 14, 1907. Serial No. 388,489.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN WAUGH, citizen of the United States, residing at Cambridge, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Display-Cabinets; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, suchas will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to display cabinets.

The object of the present invention is to provide a display cabinet which shall be simple in construction, which shall give access to both front and back of the articles to be displayed, and which cannot be opened without removing the whole cabinet from its pivotal support.

To the above ends the present invention consists in the display cabinet hereinafter described and claimed.'

In the accompanying sheet of drawings which illustrate the preferred form of the present invention, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the cabinet in position to receive the articles to be displayed; Fig. 2 is a side elevation ofthe end piece which closes the openings through which said articles are inserted in the cabinet; Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section on the lines -a: Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing a portion of the cabinet and the method of mounting the same.

As shown in Fig. 1, the display cabinet comprises a frame having the top and bottom horizontal members 1 and 2 respectively, and end members 3 and 4. Intermediate horizontal members 5 are secured between the end members, and the tops and bottoms of these intermediate members and the bottom of the top member 1 and the top of the bottom member 2 are all grooved, as shown in Eig. 3. The articles to be displayed are inserted and removed through openings 6 in the end member 4, the sides of the grooves in the horizontal members preventing the insertion or removal of these articles except through the end member.

The cabinet shown in the accompanying drawings is especially designed for displaying agricultural and biological specimens, the specimen boxes 7 having glass fronts and backs and being of the proper size to fit in the groove in the top and bottom and horizontal members. The openings in the end member 4 are closed by means of a troughshaped end piece 8 which fits over the end member 4. This end piece 8 is provided with filling blocks 9, shown in dotted outline, Fig. 2, which enter the openings in the end member 4 and prevent the specimen box last inserted from sliding back under the end member 4 and being partially concealed thereby.

In order to provide a convenient means for holding the label cards 9, the transverse members are provided with slotted guides 10 under which the label cards may be inserted, each card standing directly beneath the box to which it refers. A strip of glass or other transparent material 11 may be inserted. under the guides and over the cards to protect the latter. The sides of the end piece S close the ends of these slotted guides so that when the end piece is fastened not only the specimen boxes but the label cards as well are all secured in the cabinet.

The means for attaching the end piece 8 to the end member 4 comprises the interlocking beveled faces 12 and 13 on the end member and end piece respectively, the shoulder 14 on the end member, the slightly beveled face 15on the end piece and the screw 16. So long as the screw 16 is in position7 the uper end of the end piece is held in close contact with the top of the end member 4. The shoulder and face 14 and 15 prevent any upward movement of the end piece with respect to the end member, while the interlocking beveled faces 12 and 13 prevent both downward and outward movement of the lower end of the end piece. In securing the end piece 8 to the member 4, the interlocking faces 12 and 13 are first brought into Contact and as theupper end of the piece 8 is forced inward toward the member 4, the beveled face 15 will engage the shoulder 14 and wedge the piece downward, bringing the interlocking faces into their final position.

In the illustrated embodiment of the present invention the cabinet is pivotally supported by means of the screw eyes 17 in the end member 4, through which eyes pass the upturned portion of the hooks 18 which may be secured in the wall or in a post 19 as desired. So long as the cabinet is supported upon the hooks, as will be seen from Fig. 4, it will be impossible to remove the end piece 8. lf desired, a number of cabinets may be mounted around the same post, a circular disk being secured to the post just above the cabinets and extending over the ends of the same and preventing the raising of any one of the cabinets a sufficient distance to free it from the hooks. A single locking device for the disks then locks all the cabinets on their hooks, at the same time in efl'ect locking the specimens in the cabinet. y

In order to iill the display cabinet above described, it Will be iirst removed from'its hooks and the screw 16 taken out. The end piece 8 may then be detached, leavingthe cabinet ready for the articles to bei displayed and the label cards. After these are inserted, the end piece 8 is put back, the screw 16 secured in place, and the cabinet hung uponits pivoted supports. By simply swinging the cabinet upon these supports likel the leaf of a book, the back of the articles may be inspected as Well as the front, the label cards Which may be upon both sides of the cabinet giving a description, if desired, of-the article above it.

The cabinet also provides a most convene ient means for shipping articles or specimens from one place to another, there being little chance of the boxes or specimens being injured, and since the specimen boxes and label cards are already in place in the cabinet, it is only necessaryto place the cabinet on suitable supports When it reaches its destination.

Having thus described the nature and scope of the invention and the manner in Which it is to be used, What I claim is l. A display cabinet, having, in combination, a frame comprising vertical end members and a plurality of horizontal members vertically disposed With respect to one another and provided With grooves, all in the saine vertical plane, to receive the articles to be displayed and prevent them from being removed except from the ends of said grooves, one of the end members being provided With openings through which the arti cles may be inserted in and removed from the ends of the grooves, and an end piece for clos ing said openings, substantially as described.

2. A display cabinet, having, in combination, a frame comprising horizontal members and vertical end,meinbers, the horizontal members being provided With groove's to receive the articles to be displayed and reventing the articles from being removec exce t from the ends of said grooves, and one of tie end members being provided with openings through which the articles may be inserted in and removed from the ends of the grooves, an end piece closing the openings, and7 pivotal supports for the frame constructed and arranged to `prevent the removal of the end piece so long as the frame is resting upon said supports, substantially as described.

3. A display cabinet, having, in combination, a frame comprising horizontal members and vertical lend members, the horizontal members being provided With grooves to receive the articles to be displayed and reventing the articles from being remover except from the ends of said grooves, and one of the end members being provided With openings through which the articles may be inserted in and removed from the ends of said grooves, slotted guides on the sides of the horizontal members to receive label cards, and an end piece for closing the openings and the ends of the slotted guides, substantially as described,

4. A display cabinet, having, in combination, a frame comprising horizontal members and vertical end members, the horizontal members being provided with grooves to receive the articles to be displayed, and preventing the articles from being removed except from the ends of said grooves, and one of the end members being provided With openings through Which the articles-may be inserted in and removed from the ends of the grooves, slotted gui-des on the sides of the horizontal members to receive label cards, and a trough-shaped end piece to fit over said end member, the face of the end piece closing the openings in the end member and tlieside of said piece closing the ends of the slotted guides, substantially as described.

5. A display cabinet, having, in combination, a frame comprising horizontal members and vertical end members, the horizontal members being provided with grooves to receive theI articles to be displayed, and preventing the articles from being removed except from the ends of said grooves, and one of the end members being provided With openings through Which the articles may be inserted in and removed from the ends of the grooves, and an end piece for closing said openings and provided With iillinfr pieces to y enter said openings, substantially as described.

6. A display cabinet, having, in combination, a framer comprising horizontal members `and vertical end members, the horizontal members being provided with grooves to receive thev articles to be displayed, and preventing' the. articles from being removed except from the ends of said grooves, andone of the end members being provided with openings through Which the articles may be insertedin and removed from the ends of the grooves, an end piece for closing said openings, and. interlocking faces on the frame and end piece, substantially as described.

7. A display cabinet, having, in combina tion, a frame open at the front and back, said frame comprising vertical end members and a plurality of horizontal members vertically disposed with respect to one another, and provided with grooves, all in the saine vertical plane, of a suitable Width to receive a single roW of the articles to be displayed and to prevent them from being removed except from the ends of the grooves, one of the end members being provided with openings through which the articles may be inserted in and removed from the ends ofthe groove, an end piece for closing said openings, and means for supporting the frame in a substan tially vertical position to display both the A front and back of the article, substantially 10 as described.

In testimony whereof I aiX my signature, in presence of two Witnesses.

JOHN WAUGH.

Vitnesses:

SToUGHToN BELL, WM. J. 'ODONNELL- 

